'The Cruelest Month' - Louise Penny - 6/29/2019

The third book in the Inspector Gamache series toys with elements of magic, without letting them overtake the classic detective tropes of Penny's books.  The murder takes place in an old derelict house on the edge of the idyllic town of Three Pines, in the Eastern Townships, just North of the United States, in Quebec.  At first, it appears that the deceased has been 'scared to death', but we later find that premeditated murder was, indeed, committed.

Witches are mentioned, and play a role in the development of the plot, while firmly grounded in the history of the region in which the story takes place.  Religion, philosophy, art, poetry, and painting are regular touchstones in the world of Inspector Gamache and Louise Penny.  Witchcraft is a natural addition to the beautifully realized setting of the series. 

Inspector Gamache, once again, ventures into those areas of the human psyche in which mundane emotions turn into murderous ones.  It is a consistent theme in Louise Penny's books, and one which I feel should be more consistently explored in the genre.  Rather than painting the murderer as a monster, each novel takes us deep into the minds of the characters involved in the titular incident, allowing us to appreciate what led to their eventual descent into sociopathy.  We are allowed to empathize with the antagonist, which is important, in my opinion.  The 'us vs. them' mentality is absent, which is good. 

As such, each book is really an exploration into what turns 'regular' humans into killers.  The novels in the series can be a bit dense at times, but this is to be expected, as they are often driven more by psychology than action.  We are lured deeper and deeper into the depths of our minds which we choose to avoid in everyday life.  the darkness itself, the taboo allure of it, is what keeps us reading. 

Also, Louise Penny writes so well about food.  Her attention to sensory detail is paramount to the stories, and keeps us coming back.  She has succeeded in creating a distinct world, rich with sensation; comforting.  This, as much as the mysteries themselves, is what keeps me reading.

Cheers,
Graham